Scalable low-technology interventions to track and minimize learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic

With over 1.5 billion learners out of school, the COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed education systems worldwide. This necessitates new education models, including the use of education technology for distance learning. Many efforts to date have focused on higher-technology solutions, such as internet-based smartphone applications. The researchers evaluate a ‘low-tech’ solution that leverages text-messages and direct phone calls to parents to empower them to educate their children in the household. This low-tech solution has unique potential to reach the masses. While only 15-60 percent of households in low- and middle-income countries have internet access, 70-90 percent of households own at least one mobile phone. The researchers run a large-scale trial with 4,500 caregiver phone numbers in Botswana representing over half of the regions in the nation. The researchers collect outcome data on engagement in educational activities, parental perceptions of their child’s learning, parent demand for remote education services, and student learning outcomes. The researchers collect outcomes at rapid intervals to enable sharing of results with governments worldwide to inform national teacher-engagement strategies and possible solutions to enable the over 1 billion children out of school to learn. Results will be relevant both in the present crisis as well as during future school closures and inform the role of parents and technology as substitutes rather than complements of the traditional education institution, schools, for human capital accumulation.